Must Have Upgrade!

The Can-Am Maverick X3 is a lightweight, low center of gravity, high powered rocket. There were a few compromises in the design to get the weight low. The stock suspension mounting points are made of surprisingly thin metal. In fact, when you tear this machine down to do the installation, you will be surprised at how thin. Many companies have a complete front gusset kit or structural reinforcement kit on the market. We chose to use the Assualt Industries kit because of the design and rigidity it adds. In addition to reducing flex and adding strength, it also makes all the suspension connections double shear mounting points for the upper and lower A-arms.

In the above video, we install the Assault Industries F-22 Front Structural Reinforcement kit (FSR Kit) from beginning to end showing you exactly what you need to do each step of the way. The kit probably will take 2 hours to install after watching the video so you know what you are doing. It will be clear that you are adding structural rigidity in the front-end of the of the Can-Am Maverick X3. This will help to reduce flex while sharpening the vehicles handling characteristics. Because we are reducing issues related to flex, the vehicle can become much tighter and more predictable under load.

There are no specialty tools needed for this installation and most everything can be done with simple hand tools. To make things a bit faster, we used a Milwaukee M12 powered ratchet, a Milwaukee M18 Mid-Torque impact wrench and a Drill Driver. In a few of the cases, you will not be able to use impact sockets because of the size of the holes some of the bolts are in. You will see us using non-impact rated sockets on an impact wrench in those situations. Please use caution doing that.

This is a great time to add a front bumper, winch, tie rods, lower control arms or even just do some wiring. Most of the body will be off the front and it gives you full access to do whatever is needed.

Please leave any comments or questions below and we will do our best to answer them in a timely manner. Hope you enjoy the instructional video!

Wrenches & Rides is a publication dedicated to automotive enthusiasts who enjoy working on their own cars. We dedicate our time to helping others succeed at making their vehicle better with their own work.